Forests and Trees

There are details, and then there are details. As a rule, I am not a strong detail person, however in certain areas of my life, I have them down pat. Jeff was not particularly good on details either. He was, and I am still, more comfortable with the big picture. That old saw, You can’t see the forest for the trees, definitely did not describe either of us most of the time. Turn it around and it would, You can’t see the trees for the forest. The forest is the big picture; the trees are the details.

There are details that I know about fabric and fibers that would bore Jeff to tears. If he walked into a fabric store with me, within a couple of minutes he would be sweating and anxious to get out of there. I learned to go by myself if I wanted to really take my time and enjoy the process. On the other hand, he would see a car coming down the road towards us and he could tell the make and model, and maybe even the year before I could see it clearly. I could say that it was a car, not a truck or a motorcycle, and it was blue. We each learned details about subjects for which we had passion.

Then there are the people who are all over details. Getting them to see the big picture sometimes is hard, but they can take care of the iotas without a problem. Thank goodness that we are not all the same. The world is a much more interesting place because we are different. Working with our gifts and strengths can give purpose to our lives. That doesn’t mean that I can ignore important details, but if I stay with them too long, I feel as though I am drowning. For someone else, trying to stay focused on the big picture may make them feel unrooted.

In the wisdom of God, there are enough varieties to seem almost infinite to me, and they all can be used to sing praise to our Creator.

1 Chronicles 16.33:

Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.